Combined hopple and tail-holder.



' PATENTED OCT. 3, 1905.

J. G. OONNELL. COMBINED HOPPLE AND TAIL HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1, 1905.

Attorneys Witness UNITED STATES PATENT @FFTCE.

COMBINED HOPPLE AND TAIL-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1905.

Application filed May 1,1905- Serial No. 258,261.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known thatl, JOHN G. CoNNnLL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hoquiam, in the county of Chehalis and State of Washington,have invented a new and useful Combined Hopple and Tail-Holder, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to combined tailholders and hopples forattachment to cows while being milked, and has for its object to improvethe construction and increase the efficiency of devices of thischaracter.

lVith these and other objects in view, which will appear as the natureof the invention is better understood, the same consists in certainnovel features of construction, as hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which corresponding parts are denoted by like designating characters,is illustrated the preferred form of embodiment of the invention capableof carrying the same into practical operation, it being understood thatthe invention is not necessarily limited thereto, as various changes inthe shape, proportions, and general assemblage of the parts may beresorted to without departing from the principle of the invention orsacrificing any of its advantages.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of a portion of a cow with theimproved device applied. Fig. 2 is a detached side elevation, enlarged,of the improved device. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail, enlarged, of thetail-holding member of the device. Fig. 4 is a front elevation, and Fig.5 is a longitudinal sectional elevation, of the coupling memberenlarged. Fig. 6 is a section, enlarged, on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3.

The improved device comprises a bar 10, having hooks 11 12 at the endsand with an intermediate lateral loop 13 and also with a curvedlongitudinal aperture 14:. Engaging this aperture 14E is a bentspring-bar 15, extending at the ends into engagement with the innerfaces of the hooks 11 12, and thereby forming yieldable closure-tonguesacross the entrances to the hooks, the one spring thus serving asclosure-tongues to both the hooks 11 12. Two chains 16 17 form a part ofthe improved structure and are adapted to be engaged adjustably with thehooks 11 12 by their links and provided with terminal hooks 2O 21 largeenough to pass partly around the legs of a cow just above thegambrel-joints. Swinging by a hook 22 from the loop 13 is a bar 23,

having a jaw at the free end and bentinwardly, as at 25, and alsoprovided with inwardly-extending spaced sides 26 27. Disposed in frontof the member 23 is an opposing member 28, havingspacedlaterally-extending sides 29 30, embracing the sides 26 27 of themember 23 and coupled movably thereto by a pivot-pin 31. The inner end32 of the member 28 approaches the free end of the hook 22, while theouter end is bent inwardly, as at 33, to meet the bent portion 25 of themember 23. The side portions 29 30 of the member 28 are continued to thebent portion 33 and formed with serrations, as at 35, to increase thegrip between the jaws.

A spring is disposed between the members 23 28 to maintain their jawends yieldably in contact, the spring being formed of a flat platefolded together around the pin 31, with one leg 36 hearing against theinner face of the member 23 and the other leg 37 hearing against theinner face of the portion 32 of the member 28 and also extended forbearing against the inner face of the hook 22, as shown more clearly inFig. 3, to form a yieldable closuretongue to the latter. The spring 3637 thus serves the twofold purpose of a means for holding the jaws 25 33yieldably in contact and also as the yieldable closure-tongue to thehook 22. The member 23, with its attachments, may thus be snapped intoconnection with the loop 13 and be held in place thereon by thespring-tongue 37, as will be obvious.

The jaw members 25 33 are designed for grasping the long hairs at thetip end of the cows tail, as represented in Fig. 1, and will hold itwith sufficient force to prevent the animal from switching it into theface of the person who is milking or into the milk-pail, while thehopple-chains effectually prevent the animal from kicking or movingabout.

The device is simple in construction, can be strongly and inexpensivelymanufactured, and may be readily adapted to any size of cow by simplyadjusting the terminal hooks 20 21 in the links of the chains 16 17.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a deviceof the class described, a bar having reversely-disposed hooks at theends and with a longitudinal aperture between the hooks and with alateral loop, a spring member engaging said aperture and projecting atthe ends to form yieldable closure-tongues to said hooks, a member forremovably engag- IIO ing said loop and having oppositely-disposedmovable jaws, and yieldable closing means operating upon said jaws.

2. In a device of the class described, a bar having oppositely-disposedhooks at the ends and with a lateral loop between the hooks. yieldableclosure-tongues for said hooks, and a member movably engaging said loopand having oppositely-operating jaws provided with a yieldable closingmeans.

3. In a device of the class described, a bar having oppositely-disposedhooks at the ends and with yieldable closure to said books, a memberswinging laterally from said bar and terminating in oppositely-disposedjaws, and yielding closing means operating upon said jaws.

4. In a device of the class described, a bar having oppositely-disposedhooks at the ends and with a lateral loop between the hooks, yieldableclosure tongues to said books, a member having a hook at one end forengaging said loop and a stationary jaw member at the other end, anopposing jaw member movably connected to said stationary jaw member andoperating against the same, and means for holding said jaw membersyieldably closed.

5. In a device of the class described, a bar having oppositely-disposedhooks at the ends and with a lateral loop between the hooks, yieldableclosure-tongues for said hooks, a member having a hook at one end forengaging said loop and a stationary jaw member at the other end, anopposing jaw member movably connected to said stationary jaw member andoperating against the same, means for holding said jaw members yieldablyclosed, and a yieldable closure-tongue between said hooked member andsaid loop.

6. In a device of the class described, a bar having oppositely-disposedbooks at the ends and with a lateral loop between the hooks, yieldableclosure-tongues for said hooks, two members having spaced sides and withopposing gripping-jaws at one end and with a hook at the other end ofone of the members for removably engaging said loop, a pivot-pindisposed transversely through said spaced sides, and a spring engagingsaid pivot-pin and operating to hold said gripping-jaws yieldably inclosed position, with one side of the spring extended to form aclosure-tongue to said loopbook.

7. In a device of the class described, a bar having oppositely-disposedbooks at the ends and with yieldable closure-tongues for said hooks, amember swinging laterally from said bar and terminating inoppositely-disposed jaws, yielding closing means operating upon saidjaws, and chains having terminal hooks and adapted for movably engagingsaid barhooks by their links.

In testimony that Iclaim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN G. CONNELL.

Witnesses:

Nn'rrm M. TAYLOR, A. M. DINEEN.

